Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and Counselling
Pyschodynamic psychotherapy and counselling is an established form of therapy that explores and seeks to change the unconscious patterns that are causing difficulties in your life. Many of our ways of relating to others are learned from our earliest infancy through childhood (normally with our parent(s)), and sometimes these patterns of how we interact with others can get in the way of achieving our potential as adults. However, because they are unconscious, we can't see them. The therapy is informed by the feelings we experience in the room which can lead the way to healing. Counselling will have a greater emphasis on your life and the dilemmas and difficulties you face, whereas psychotherapy tends to work on a deeper level, closer to your inner world. |
the unconscious mindOur unconscious cannot be seen by us, but it is very real, guiding our decisions in life all the time.
Imagine a fully laden supertanker, with most of the mass of the ship below the waterline. If we were that ship, our unconscious may be the hull under the water, including the rudder which steers us. A psychodynamic therapist can help notice and explore your unconscious patterns and when you are ready help you to see them for yourself. This can be deeply powerful as it promotes self-understanding, healing and positive change in your life. |
time limited workTypically 6-18 sessions in length, a course of short term counselling may be very helpful in exploring a particular dilemma or anxiety, or area of concern in any area of your life. Indeed, to be most effective, evidence shows that psychodynamic counselling in the short term needs to work to a mutually agreed focus.
One interesting aspect of short term psychodynamic counselling is that the ending is never far away, and endings can provoke very powerful feelings in us. Working with our own ending can intensify your healing. |
open-ended PsychotherapySometimes the nature of your therapeutic needs requires ongoing support. Here, open-ended psychodynamic therapy may be beneficial.
In open-ended work there is more space and time to attend to whatever you may bring to therapy. In addition to supportive counselling, open-ended therapy may involve interpretation of feelings, exploring dreams or working with different types of silences. If you have a need for ongoing support, or you wish to enable deeper healing for more entrenched personality patterns then you may find longer term work helpful. |